


Harsh Words & Loving Arms

by messandahalf



Series: Modern Day Romance [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homophobia, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), M/M, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23886532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/messandahalf/pseuds/messandahalf
Summary: Arthur has been with Merlin for four months when he finally decides to tell his father.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Modern Day Romance [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722964
Comments: 19
Kudos: 321





	Harsh Words & Loving Arms

The best part about studying at Merlin’s, besides the obvious kisses he would steal whenever he got bored, was staying the night. There were few things in the entire world that made Arthur feel as content as waking up and having Merlin wrapped up in his arms. Arthur was not usually a morning person. Quite the opposite, in fact. However, with Merlin, he always found himself blinking awake before his boyfriend, allowing him time to gaze fondly at his boyfriend’s relaxed face as he slept. Some may call this behaviour creepy, but Arthur didn’t care. These last four months with Merlin have been some of the best of his whole life.

Merlin shifts in Arthur’s arms, body tensing as he slowly wakes up. His nose scrunches up and he buries his face further into Arthur’s neck. He snuffles unintelligibly before his face reappears. His eyes are still kind of unfocused, still desperately clinging futilely to sleep. His hair is mussed, more so than usual after their activities from the night before. There is a faint flush to his cheeks from the heat conserved under the blankets. Arthur’s heart melts a little more at the sight. How can one person be so gorgeous _and_ adorable at the same time? It wasn’t fair.

“Mornin’.” Merlin mumbles, yawning immediately after. With his eyes scrunched closed, he misses Arthur’s fond smile.

“Good morning.” Arthur replies, tightening his arms to pull Merlin closer. He hums softly as Arthur presses a soft kiss to his forehead. Merlin allows himself to be held close for another moment longer before struggling free and stretching languidly. Arthur’s fingers itch to reach out and pull him back once he’s settled, but he doesn’t. They do both still have responsibilities today.

Turning his head, Merlin smiles softly as he says, “I’ll go get breakfast started. The usual?” Arthur perks up immediately, nodding excitedly. This is the next best thing about staying at Merlin’s. He makes the best scrambled eggs on toast that Arthur has ever had. Merlin grins at Arthur’s enthusiasm, and presses closer for one last kiss before tossing the blankets aside and sitting up. Arthur watches unashamedly as he crosses the room to pull out a pair of boxers. He catches Arthur staring as he pulls them on and shoots him a cheeky wink. A pair of lounge pants, and Arthur’s t-shirt from yesterday, and he’s gone.

Arthur rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling for another minute or two before finally getting up as well. He keeps a stash of his clothes in Merlin’s closet, so he pulls out some fresh clothes for the day, and follows his boyfriend belatedly out of the room. He makes a quick stop in the bathroom, gargling with some of Merlin’s mouthwash, before continuing on to the kitchen.

When he steps into the small kitchen, he finds Merlin already at the stove, working his magic on his eggs. Arthur crosses the room to sit at the small table pushed into the corner, as out of the way as possible. The room is filled with the soft sizzle of breakfast cooking, and for a while, Arthur let’s the relative silence be. Then, he takes a deep breath.

“Merlin,” he says, “I’m going to tell my father.” Merlin stills at his place. Slowly, he turns around, spatula in hand, to gaze at his boyfriend.

He stammers, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Arthur has told Merlin many stories about his father, so it’s no surprise that Merlin would react this way. Arthur merely shrugs.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” He replies nonchalantly. Merlin can easily see through Arthur’s aloofness. Clicking off the stove, he approaches Arthur.

As he gets closer, he hesitates. “Arthur, are you sure you want to do that? You know that you don’t have to.”

Arthur gives him a wan smile. “I know, but I want to. I’m sick of keeping you a secret. I know that everyone else in my life knows about you, but I still feel like I’m doing wrong by you whenever I tell my father we’re just friends.” He explains slowly, hoping that Merlin will understand. To his disappointment, Merlin just looks vaguely ill.

“I just... I really don’t think it’s such a good idea.” Merlin replies. Arthur raises an eyebrow and settles an unimpressed look on him.

“Noted, but I’m still doing it. I want to, Merlin. Consequences be damned.” He says back, a little more shortly than he had intended. “And I know just how to do it, too.” He adds on, pulling his phone out.

Merlin lifts his own eyebrow. “And how exactly is that?” He asks nervously. A minute passes before Arthur passes his phone to Merlin. On the screen is a very official looking email from Uther Pendragon himself. Merlin looks back up at Arthur in confusion. Arthur gives him back a cheeky grin.

“Care to be my date to my father’s annual posh gala event?” He asks. Merlin pales considerably, and Arthur feels his guts twists nervously. Merlin wouldn’t actually say _‘no’_ , would he?

“That,” Merlin chokes out, “is an absolutely horrible idea, even for you.” Arthur knows he should feel offended by Merlin’s statement, but he decides to ignore it for now. Getting to his feet, he wraps his arms around Merlin’s shoulders and pulls him closer.

Nuzzling Merlin’s neck, he replies, “Yeah, probably, but I really just want to show my sexy boyfriend off.” After a moment, he adds, “And if I show up alone again, my father will try to force some well to do young woman on me, and I really don’t want that.” He presses a tender kiss to the skin on Merlin’s neck, then pulls back enough to see his face. “Please, Merlin? I want to do this. I’m ready to do this.”

Merlin chews on his lower lip in uncertainty. Arthur holds his breath as he watches his boyfriend think it over. Deep down, he knows this will all explode in his face. There is no way his father will approve of Arthur dating a man, but Arthur doesn’t care. Merlin means more to him than anything else in the world, and he’s sick of hiding that every time he goes home.

Finally, Merlin sighs dramatically. “Okay, fine. If you’re sure about this, then I will go with you, but you have to promise me that if things go to shit, that we will leave.” He says sternly. Arthur nods solemnly.

“Absolutely.” He replies.

“When is this thing, anyway?” Merlin asks, looking down at Arthur’s now dark phone in his hand. Arthur looks away sheepishly.

“Tonight.” He tells Merlin. “I got the email on Monday, I just didn’t know how to ask you to go with me. I honestly wasn’t even sure I wanted to go till last night.”

Merlin stares at him incredulously. “Tonight?” He demands. “Arthur, where am I going to get a suit on a Saturday that will be ready for tonight?”

Arthur grins at him. “Leave that to me. I’ll make a few calls while you finish up breakfast.” He presses a quick kiss to Merlin’s lips, then pulls his phone out of this boyfriend’s hand, and wanders out of the kitchen and into the living room. He scrolls through his contacts, tapping the one he wants. It rings twice before the call is answered.

“Hey, it’s Arthur. I need a favour.”

~~~

It’s several hours later, when the two of them are getting ready, that the enormity of what he’s about to do truly hits Arthur square in the face. He is about to come out to his father, at a business event, in front of all of his father’s colleagues and business partners. All of them. God, his father was going to kill him. He has a feeling that having witnesses will do little to dissuade his father from creating a scene. Merlin, as always, picks up on his shift in mood. He abandons his shirt buttons and gently takes Arthur’s face in his hands.

“Arthur?” He asks quietly. “Are you okay? You know that we don’t have to go through with this. I’m sure your father will be angry if you don’t show, or show up alone after all, but it would be the safer option. It’s okay.”

Arthur studies Merlin’s earnest face, and feels something settle inside himself. With Merlin by his side, he truly has nothing to fear. He smiles softly at the realization, and leans closer to press a kiss to Merlin’s lips. Merlin easily kisses back. As they separate, Merlin uses his thumbs to gently brush over Arthur cheekbones. He meets Arthur’s eyes questioningly, which only makes Arthur’s smile grow in size and strength.

“I’m sure that I want to do this.” Arthur tells Merlin quietly. “I appreciate the offer, but this is something that needs to be done, and I’m ready to do it.” Merlin continues to study Arthur’s face intently, looking for any hint of reluctance or a lie in his blue eyes. When he finds none, he lets go of Arthur’s face with a small nod.

“Okay.” He says. “Let’s go then. Are we taking your car, or taking a cab?”

Arthur snorts. “My car. Then we can leave whenever we want to.” Merlin nods his agreement, no doubt having already suspected that answer. He makes short work of his remaining buttons, putting his suit jacket on as he follows Arthur out of the room. Despite his resolve to do this, every step makes Arthur feel nauseous. Merlin’s steady presence behind him, urging him forward, is the only reason he doesn’t change his mind and just crawl into bed.

They both climb silently into Arthur’s car after leaving Merlin’s flat. Arthur takes another brief moment to try to steel his nerves before starting the car. The familiar purr of the engine soothes hm slightly, and he puts the car in drive and starts on their way. Merlin, in the passenger seat, helps guide him to the venue, some ritzy hall that Arthur doesn’t care to remember the name of. There’s a good chance he never will again after tonight anyway. Arthur has a feeling that it will take Uther a rather long time to forgive him, or even talk to him again, after this.

He swings the car into the first available parking spot he notices, killing the engine, but not moving past that. He grips the steering wheel hard enough to make his knuckles go white, not releasing it until Merlin settles a gentle hand on his arm. Arthur looks up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes, and finds them swimming with equal parts concern and understanding.

“If things turn sour, we can leave.” Merlin says softly, like a promise. Arthur feels himself nod before leaning across the seat and kissing Merlin gently. He lingers there for a moment longer than he intended, only pulling away when Merlin hums quietly. With a determined nod, he opens his car door and gets out. Merlin follows suit, rounding the front of the vehicle to stand by Arthur’s side. Reaching down, Arthur tangles their fingers together. They share a soft smile before making their way through the busy parking lot to the main doors of the building.

The first thing Arthur notices when they step inside is the noise. It’s not particularly loud, but the mix of gentle classical music paired with the low buzz of dozens of conversation going on at the same time is a little overwhelming. Merlin shifts closer to him, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Arthur practically grew up with events like these, but Merlin is completely out of his depth at such an upscale event. Arthur feels a stab of guilt at dragging him along with him.

Leaning closer, Arthur whispers, “If it gets to be too much, let me know and we can leave. I know how overwhelming one of these can be, especially the first time.” Merlin just gives him a tense smile and shakes his head. He mumbles something that could be, _‘I’m fine’_ , and continues on into the hall.

The lighting is sparse and dim, but instead of making everything look gloomy, it enhances the grandeur of the atmosphere. Everywhere the couple looks, there are men and women dressed in expensive suits and extravagant gowns. Merlin has never been in a room with so much money before. Despite the tailored suit he’s wearing, he feels extremely out of place and underdressed. When Arthur feels Merlin hesitate, he loosens his grip on his hand, instead settling his hand on the small of Merlin’s back. He splays his fingers out slightly, pressing gently as he leads the two of them into the throng of people.

“Arthur, my boy!” A man calls, drawing both of their attention. An older gentleman and a young woman are making their way over. After seeing who it is, Arthur relaxes slightly, having tensed up at his name being called.

Reaching out a hand to shake the man’s outstretched one, he says, “Hello, Rodor. Mithian. How are you?” Rodor clasps his hand, shaking it firmly.

“We’re doing very well, thank you.” The man replies. Mithian smiles politely and actually curtsies slightly. “And who is this young man?” Rodor asks, letting go of Arthur’s hand and reaching for Merlin’s.

“Oh, I’m Merlin.” Merlin says quickly. He glances at Arthur, and gets a small nod, before adding, “I’m Arthur’s boyfriend.” Rodor’s eyebrows shoot up as he looks him over. Mithian smiles brightly at him, which surprises Merlin.

She turns to Arthur and says, “I’m very glad you finally found someone, Arthur. Our fathers can finally stop trying to push us together now.” Arthur flushes red as he chuckles.

“Indeed.” Is all he says as he flashes a small, fond smile in Merlin’s direction.

Rodor finally drops Merlin’s hand. “Well, we won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure everyone here will be anxious to meet you, Merlin.” The man smiles, but his eyes are cautious as he meets Arthur’s. Arthur nods back, having understood the older man’s warning to be careful.

“Thank you.” Arthur says. “I’m sure we will be seeing each other later. Enjoy your evening.” Rodor and Mithian move off to another group, allowing Arthur and Merlin to progress further into the crowd.

“They seemed nice.” Merlin comments as Arthur longingly watches a server pass by with a tray of ridiculously expensive champagne. Maybe they should’ve taken a cab instead. This evening would be remarkably more bearable with some alcohol.

Arthur nods. “They are. I’ve known them almost my whole life. Mithian and I used to spend all our time together at these events. For a while, my father was insistent that I be with Mithian romantically, but the two of us never liked each other that way. She’s always just been an ally to me. Someone to talk to when my father drags me off to these ridiculous events.” Arthur’s arm slides further around Merlin’s waist as another of his father’s business associates approaches them.

“It’s good to see you, Arthur.” He says, holding out a hand. Arthur takes it in his, shaking firmly yet again.

“Bayard.” He says with a nod. “It’s good to see you, too. This here is Merlin, my boyfriend. Merlin, this is Bayard. He works quite closely with my father.” He introduces. Merlin smiles and shakes the man’s hand next.

Bayard looks him over. “Boyfriend?” He asks. Both Merlin and Arthur nod. He shoots Arthur a knowing smile. “I always did have my suspicions about you. Does your father know?”

Arthur sets his jaw, tilting his chin up stubbornly. “Not yet, but he will soon enough.” He replies. Bayard pats him firmly on the shoulder.

“Look, it’s none of my business, but I implore you to be careful, Arthur. I know your father very well, and I do not believe he will be as accepting as some of the rest of us.” Arthur nods in response to Bayard’s words, a hint of a smile on his lips.

“I am fully aware of how my father will most likely react, which is why I am just going to get it over with, then leave if I have to. Do you know where I can find him?” Arthur queries as he looks around the crowded room. Bayard purses his lips, but points over to where a podium as been set up.

“Last I saw, he was over there, preparing for his speech later.” Bayard replies hesitantly. Arthur thanks him, shares a few more brief words, then tugs Merlin along with him toward where his father is.

Uther doesn’t look up as they approach, seemingly not having noticed them yet. The closer they get, the more Arthur’s heart pounds in his chest. By the time they are within speaking distance, the treacherous organ has practically launched into his throat. When his father finally looks up, his expression is stormy. His eyes flick from Arthur, to Merlin, then back.

“So it’s true.” He says icily. “The rumours I’ve heard about my son showing up with a boy on his arm have been correct.” Arthur squares his shoulders, preparing to face off with his father.

“Father,” he grits out, “this is Merlin, my boyfriend.” Merlin shifts awkwardly by Arthur’s side, unsure if he should speak, or offer a hand to shake. He does neither when Uther spares him another small glance before refocusing on his son.

“I don’t really care who he is.” He replies sternly. “I want to know why you brought him here.”

Arthur scowls. “Because you told me to bring a date, so I did. You didn’t specify what gender they had to be.” He bites out, meeting his father’s ferocious glare head on. They’re trapped in a rather formidable staring contest for a minute or two before Uther snaps his attention over to Merlin.

“Leave us. I wish to speak with my son alone.” He says, addressing Merlin for the first time. When Merlin looks at Arthur uncertainly, Arthur nods his assent.

“Go, enjoy the food. I’ll find you once I’m done here.” When Merlin hesitates, Arthur slides his hand on Merlin’s waist down to his hand. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” He assures him. He squeezes Merlin’s hand once before letting go. Merlin gives Uther one last unsure look before nodding. He hesitates for a moment before leaning in and pressing a quick kiss to Arthur’s cheek. The action makes Uther fume silently even more, but helps solidify in Arthur’s mind that he’s doing the right thing. Both father and son watch Merlin leave in silence.

Once he’s well and truly out of sight, Uther rounds on his son. “How _dare_ you humiliate me like this in front of everyone.” He hisses venomously.

“Humiliate you?” Arthur growls back. “I’m fairly certain that my love life is not a humiliation for anyone, and it’s certainly none of your business to comment so negatively on.” Uther’s face grows red with rage at his son’s words.

“You will not speak to me that way, Arthur.” He reprimands. Normally, Arthur would flinch away at his tone, but he doesn’t this time. “Have I done something to you?” He continues, voice sharp. “Is this some kind of retribution for an imagined slight?” He adds further.

Arthur has to bite back a snarl of anger, taking a deep breath before replying, “No, and the fact that you think I would use someone like that is frankly appalling. You have so little faith in me, Father.”

Uther frowns. “I have _no_ faith in you if you are with that boy by choice. I do not approve, and you will cease all connections with him immediately. I forbid you from seeing this boy again.” He commands, already turning away from the conversation. Arthur’s mouth drops open.

“No!” He shouts indignantly. Uther freezes in place.

“What?” He demands coolly. Arthur glowers at him as he slowly turns around.

“You heard me.” Arthur snaps. “I will not break up with him. You can’t force me to do anything anymore, Father. I am no longer a child.”

Uther grits his teeth. “You would defy your father for some meaningless fling?” He asks, voice hard and disbelieving. Arthur has to resist the urge to punch him in his smarmy face. How _dare_ he speak so cavalierly about Merlin.

“He’s not just a fling.” Arthur states forcefully. The lines on Uther’s face harden. “I love him, Father. He didn’t con me into it. He’s not only with me for my name, or my money. He is with me, for me, and I am in love with him.” He admits for the first time out loud.

Uther stares at him wordlessly, menacingly, for a moment or two before speaking. “You don’t know the first thing about love, Arthur. However, if you choose to pick this boy over your own family, then you can say goodbye to that fancy school tuition, the nice car, and the shiny new credit cards and designer clothes.”

Arthur physically recoils, as if he’s been slapped across the face. He knew his father would be angry, but he never expected this. Yelling, and shouting, and possibly throwing things, sure, but not completely cutting him off. He stares open mouthed at his father in shock.

“So that’s it? You’re just completely cutting me off because of who I fell in love with?” He chokes out. Uther glares stoically back at him.

“You should leave. I do not wish to see you.” His father says stonily. “And make yourself scarce at home until you come to your senses and do as I say.” He adds on. Arthur clenches his jaw, biting back a rather nasty retort.

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t be going home. I’d rather stay somewhere that I’m wanted.” With that, he turns on his heel and stalks angrily away. His father doesn’t call him back. He fights against the sting of tears behind his eyes as he scans the crowd for that familiar head of dark hair. He finally spots it off to the side of the room, where Merlin and Mithian have sat at one of the small tables. Merlin’s smile makes him want to cry even more. He makes a beeline for them, not caring who he shoves past or ignores on his way.

Merlin looks up with a smile when he notices Arthur approaching, but it falls from his face as he catches sight of Arthur. “What happened?” He asks gently as he rushes to get to his feet. Arthur allows himself to get pulled into a tight embrace, burying his face in Merlin’s neck. He takes a moment to just breathe Merlin in, letting his body calm down and stop shaking before answering.

“Let’s just go.” Is all he says, though, pointedly ignoring Mithian’s concerned looks. Merlin nods, voicing an apology and a goodbye to the brunette over Arthur’s shoulder before steering the two of them to the door. The pair get several funny looks as they make their way to the exit, seeing as they had only really just arrived. Arthur ignores them all as Merlin offers up tense and awkward smiles. Neither one speaks again until they’re back outside.

Stopping them, Merlin turns to face Arthur and demands, “What happened?”

Arthur shrugs evasively. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” He brushes off. Trying to get around Merlin, he suddenly finds himself wrapped up in another strong hug.

“This is not nothing.” Merlin murmurs into his hair. “I’ve never seen you like this before, and I’m worried about you. Please don’t lie to me.” He begs. Arthur can feel the fight leaving his body at Merlin’s words.

“I think— Merlin, he—“ Arthur frowns as he struggles for words. Merlin rubs his back reassuringly. Taking a deep breath, he finally says, “My father just cut me off from him completely. I don’t know how I’m going to afford school, I’m going to lose the car, I have nowhere to live, and no money to pay rent or even buy food.” He chokes, voice cutting off. The panic in his chest is fully blooming. Merlin squeezes him hard, bringing his focus back to his boyfriend. He squeezes back, letting go reluctantly as Merlin pulls away.

“Breathe, Arthur.” Merlin soothes. “Let’s take this one step at a time. For now, we’re going to go back to mine, okay?” Arthur nods numbly, and allows himself to get pulled along once again. They walk back to Arthur’s car quietly, Merlin keeping an arm around Arthur and keeping his close. Arthur appreciates the physical contact immensely. The drive to Merlin’s flat is much the same, Merlin keeping one hand settled on Arthur’s thigh at all times. As soon as they are out of the car, Arthur gets wrapped back up in Merlin’s arms, and lead inside.

The full shock of what happened finally hits Arthur as Merlin closes and locks the door behind them. He honestly isn’t sure if he wants to cry, laugh hysterically, or run to the toilet and vomit. He just stands in the entryway, undecided, until Merlin gently grips his elbow.

“Come on. I’ll make some tea.” He says softly, pulling Arthur further into the flat. Arthur gives him a strained smile as a thank you. He isn’t entirely sure that he can actually speak yet. He settles down at the table, just as he had that morning, and watches as Merlin puts water on to boil, then bustles around, pulling out mugs and tea bags. Merlin shoots him small, reassuring smiles every now and then, and very slowly, Arthur starts to relax. Merlin has the uncanny ability to always make him feel better, no matter what.

When the water boils, Merlin fills the mugs, drops the tea bags in, then carries them both to the table. “Drink.” He calmly instructs as he sets a mug down in front of Arthur.

Looking up, Arthur murmurs, “Thank you.” Merlin nods as he sits down beside him. Arthur obediently lifts the mug to his lips and takes a small sip of the scalding liquid. It burns his tongue slightly, but he doesn’t care. Merlin lets him sit in silence, not pushing for answers, merely letting him be and decide when to speak. Arthur’s chest swells as he realizes that he loves Merlin just a little bit more because of it. He keeps his silence, mulling over his thoughts, until his mug is drained.

“He was so angry.” He says, eyes fixed on his empty mug on the table, instead of on Merlin’s face. “I was expecting him to be disapproving, but I never dreamed he’d go this far.” He momentarily loses his breath as he recalls his father’s words, the disgust in his eyes, the stoic sincerity on his face. His father had meant every word he had said.

Merlin rubs his shoulder. “He’ll come round. You’re his son, Arthur. He can’t hate you forever.” He says consolingly. Arthur snorts and looks away at the wall.

“You don’t know my father, Merlin.” Is all he says. Merlin sighs softly behind him.

“Arthur, look at me.” He says. When Arthur does as he says, Merlin continues. “What your father said, it’s all just words. There is nothing wrong with you, or us. Whatever your father thinks, it’s a lie.” He pauses to sway closer and kiss Arthur gently. “Your father loves you, Arthur. No matter what he says, or does, you are important to him. I know he has a weird way of showing it, but he only wants what’s best for you. Just give him time.”

Arthur stares at him in amazement, finally huffing out a soft laugh. “Your ability to always see the best in others, and always have faith in other people, should be one of the wonders of the world.” He says, making Merlin grin. He reaches out and gently cups Merlin’s cheek. “And it’s why I fell in love with you.”

Merlin’s breath hitches at his words, eyes widening comically. Arthur’s gaze softens as he takes in Merlin’s expression. Leaning closer again, he presses their lips together for a lingering kiss. Merlin reciprocates eagerly, making Arthur huff out another laugh, breaking the kiss. He stares into Merlin’s eyes, and repeats, “I love you, Merlin.”

Merlin grins shyly. “I love you, too.” He replies. “God, I’ve been wanting to say it for ages.” He surges forward to kiss Arthur again. When he pulls away, he looks markedly more serious. “As far as living arrangements go, you can stay here. Finances are a little trickier, but we’ll just have to get you a job, like the rest of us.” He grins cheekily.

“Thank you, Merlin.” Arthur breathes. Merlin looks confused for a moment.

“For what?” He asks.

“For being here for me.” He clarifies. “How did I get this lucky?” He wonders aloud. Merlin blushes and grins bashfully.

“Guess I’m just a sucker for privileged prats who secretly have a heart of gold, I suppose.” He shrugs, dodging away as Arthur swats at him indignantly. They both laugh, and Arthur feels the panic clutching his heart loosen. He has a lot of things to figure out now that he’s truly on his own for the first time in his life, but it feels oddly okay. For the first time in his life, he feels free from the shadow of his father’s expectations, and it’s mostly thanks to the brilliant man smiling beside him. Smiling _at him._ He turns and tugs Merlin into a blistering kiss. Yes, everything is okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I am officially now on tumblr! I suck at technology, so you’ll just have to go the old fashioned way of looking up: messandahalf10 😂


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